"Click."
As Sanji Meow pressed the button on the canister, a ball of rainbow light instantly enveloped him.
"Ooooh-! He's transforming!" Rather than seizing the chance to attack, Ace exclaimed with shining eyes, "So cool!"
But as the light faded...
"Huh? Nothing seems to have changed?" Ace scratched his head in confusion.
After his transformation, Sanji Meow still wore the same white chef's outfit, only now he had a belt bearing a knife-and-fork design and a pair of greaves fitted with thrusters.
In truth, however, Sanji Meow's chef's outfit had changed too. The little yellow cat had already put the chef set from the Monster Hunter world into his Meowster Bag. What he wore now was actually a Germa Raid Suit of the same design, made by Ai Haibara Meow.
Of course, there was no need to explain any of that to Ace. Electricity lit up Sanji Meow's newly equipped body again, and with a slight flicker, his tiny figure vanished before everyone's eyes...
"Diable Jambe: True Reverse Lotus, meow!"
With the help of his jet boots, Sanji Meow's attacks became even more nimble and tricky. Ace, who had previously managed to hold his own through fighting instinct, fell onto the back foot for the first time that day.
Germa's Raid Suits-or, more precisely, their propulsion devices-really were an excellent fit for Palicoes, who already excelled at agility. In some respects, these things gave the cats an even greater boost than they gave Reiju and the other genuine cyborgs.
Even Meow Jūshirō, who had originally had no intention of relying on a Raid Suit's power, quietly changed his mind after trying it out in a few sparring matches with Link Meow.
Despite the sudden turn in the battle, Ace did not panic. Instead, his fighting spirit rose higher. Gritting his